Monster
by Peppermint Kiss
Summary: “Sasuke!” Naruto rasped, his voice haggard, his throat hoarse...“When did you become such a...monster?” My take on perhaps the last battle between Naruto and Sasuke, after the time skip. Written for the 100situations community on Livejournal.


**100situations Prompt 81 - Monster **

**Title: **Monster

**Fandom: **Naruto

**Table: **Three

**Prompt:** #81, Monster

**Disclaimer:** Naruto and all characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.

**A/N**: Many thanks to Ailey, my beta, who rocks the world.

* * *

This was so much like their fight four years ago. Naruto, yelling at Sasuke to go back home to Konoha. Naruto, rage-consumed, not understanding what prompted Sasuke to leave his friends and seek power from Orochimaru.

But this time, it was different. This time, Sasuke regarded everything with cold, bitter hate in his eyes. Naruto's eyes gleamed with the same determination, although this time, so similar as last time, his eyes also reflected grief and hate.

This time, the two Konoha shinobi—one a missing-nin—confronted each other again. One shinobi tried to restore the broken bonds that lay scattered in the wind. The other shinobi tried all the harder to continue breaking and smashing those bonds into tiny pieces.

"What have you learned from Orochimaru?" Naruto screamed. "What have you gained? Aren't love and friendship so much more important than power?"

"You said that four years ago," Sasuke coolly retorted, as if speaking to a youngster. "And I replied, that I will do anything to gain power. Even break those bonds of love and friendship that I once treasured, that were once so precious to me."

Naruto stared at the shinobi wielding the deadly katana perched on the ledge above him. The shinobi that had been his rival, but also his closest friend.

"Precious?" Naruto echoed, confused. "You considered my friendship…precious?"

Sasuke merely stared ahead, into the empty sky. "They _were_ precious to me. Now they are no more. Now nothing matters anymore other than gaining power to defeat Itachi. I am so close, and I refuse to go back. The only thing left is to go forward."

Naruto glared at the shinobi he had once considered his friend. What had Sasuke become, after all these years with Orochimaru? Where was the rival that Naruto pretended to hate, but harbored a deep respect for? Where was the last member of Team 7, the first team for Naruto that had held so many memories and insights for him?

_Who are you?_ Naruto's mind screamed as Sasuke rushed towards him in a blur. _What are you?_

Naruto tried to block Sasuke's moves the best he could. But Sasuke was too fast, even for Naruto's Kyuubi.

Soon, Naruto lay in the dirt, blood dripping out of his mouth. His breathing was ragged, but mostly the pain he felt in his heart about losing a friend and not being able to bring them back. This pain hurt even more than when Naruto fought so savagely four years ago to bring Sasuke back to Konoha when Sasuke first deserted.

This time, Naruto might not have another chance to bring Sasuke back and fulfill his promise to Sakura.

Naruto's thoughts drifted to Sakura. Sakura, who had devoted her whole life to becoming the best and the strongest medic-nin of them all after Sasuke had left. But still, Sakura never forgot Sasuke, and only loved Sasuke as she would her best friend. Naruto had to make Sakura smile again, and "bring Sasuke-kun back".

"Don't you care?" Naruto spat angrily at Sasuke's face. "Don't you care about the ones who worry about you every day, even though you deserted Konoha? Don't you care about Sakura, who doesn't smile anymore because of _you_?"

Naruto felt pricks of hot tears burn in his eyes, and tore his eyes away from Sasuke's glowing red Sharingan eyes.

"I quest only for power," Sasuke said in a monotone voice. "I care for no one except Itachi, and that is only the deepest, purest hate. I care for nothing except power to defeat Itachi and avenge my clan."

With that, Sasuke knocked Naruto up into the air again, the impact of the punch sending Naruto careening over the rocks on the cliff. Naruto didn't even try to block the blow, knowing now that Sasuke was hopeless. As much as it pained Naruto to admit it, he knew that Sasuke could not be persuaded or forced back to Konoha.

This was the end.

Naruto landed at Sasuke's feet with a loud thud, feeling physical pain mix in with the mental pain running in his blood.

"Sasuke!" Naruto rasped, his voice haggard, his throat hoarse. He was dirty, sweating, and he felt his chakra slowly seeping away as he struggled to retain consciousness.

Naruto lay collapsed on the dirt, staring blankly at the sky. "I always thought that I was a monster…when I hurt Sakura, when I transformed into the Kyuubi. I hurt those that I loved, and I hurt those that I…cared for." An angry tear slipped out of a brightly burning blue eye, traveling down his face and cutting a fresh path through the dirt and blood. "When did you become…such a monster?" Naruto demanded, forcefully staring into Sasuke's eyes, trying to probe into his inner feelings.

Sasuke turned to leave, having fully dealt with Naruto. The setting sun reflected off of the back of his head as he spoke, facing away from where Naruto lay sprawled on the ground. "I am not a monster, nor was I ever a monster. The only monster there ever was, and still is, is Itachi.

The one I must kill. For I am only the avenger, facing the monster."

A last gust of wind, and Naruto slowly felt his eyelids droop as the last of his chakra slipped away.

"No, Sasuke…" Naruto murmured, to nobody in particular. "Sometimes…avengers are monsters, too."

-_fade to black_-

A/N: Good? Bad? Well, the reviews shall be appreciated.


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